We can all relate to the excitement that builds before a big trip away; looking at maps, buying and preparing gear, servicing our vehicles, writing lists, and everything in between. Proper planning is essential for family and friends to have a fun, and more importantly safe time when out camping, but once the fun is over, going back over our gear and taking care of it properly once home will ensure that planning our next trip will go smoothly. Here are some things you might want to consider the next time you return from a camping weekend.

Adventure Kings make some of the most durable swags on the market. The canvas is heavy duty and comes pre-seasoned so the rain will stay out if you get caught in a storm, but prolonged exposure to moisture can kill swags, fast. If your Adventure Kings swag becomes wet when out camping; be it from rain or even dew, make sure it’s dry before you store it. This can either mean leaving it out in the sun of a morning while you pack up other gear, or rolling it up in the rain and then getting it back out again once you’re home and the rain has stopped. If you store your swag while it’s wet, mould will build up and the canvas will break down. We can all agree that the extra time it takes to get your Adventure Kings swag back out to dry once you get home is worth it if it saves you having to buy a new swag prematurely. Similarly, if your Adventure Kings camping chairs get wet, be sure to leave them out somewhere warm to dry as well.

Cast iron is another part of camping kit that requires some attention when you get home. Adventure Kings cast iron skillets and portable BBQ plates are fantastic additions to any camp kitchen, but all cast iron can rust. When out camping, try not to leave your cast iron sit out overnight, as a light covering of dew can cause it to rust. When you get home, give it a good clean and then when it’s dry, coat it with oil (olive or vegetable). Besides stopping it from rusting when you store it, the oil will keep the surface nice and shiny so your food won’t stick the next time you cook on it.

Many of us have a tendency to have everything packed neatly before we go away, but in the rush to try and get things cooked or taken care of around camp, we often reach for things and put them back in awkward places. As long as we enjoy ourselves while we’re out, it’s not a big problem to have, but packing away everything neatly again when we get home helps us have a better idea of what we have left, what’s clean, what’s dirty, and so on. Keeping Adventure Kings storage boxes at home with all of your gear in them ready to go is a good way to be organised, as they’re durable enough to take away with you and affordable enough to have a few different ones for different parts of your kit – cooking, fire, fishing gear, etc.

Dirty gear and clothes at camp can sometimes get mixed up with our fresh gear, so having a couple of Adventure Kings dirty gear bags on hand is a great way of managing this problem. One of them can be used for clothes so you can put the whole load in the wash when you get home, and another one can be used for any tools and equipment you might not have had the chance to clean while you were out. Knowing all the dirty gear is in one place when you get home helps eliminate the problem of sorting through it all.

The great thing about camping is that you get better at it the more you do it. You’ll find your own tips and tricks along the way, that help you organise yourself effectively both before and after a trip. The important thing is to keep reminding yourself that a little bit of time now is a lot better than a lot of time and potentially money down the track.